Dragon Soul
by Dawn Mason-Cullen
Summary: This is a work of ORIGINAL fiction. I put it here because there was nowhere else to put it. Dawn is a princes who suddenly finds herself thrust into a world of Dragons and fighting against her father in a war that has spanned thousands of years. R&R plz!
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1: BEGININGS

"Dawn, are you paying attention?" Dori asked.

Dori was my teacher. The young woman had brown hair and eyes. She kept her hair in a bun and wore square framed glasses over her straight nose. Like almost everyone in the Elvin kingdom, she had a perfect olive complexion.

I was staring out the window at the garden, sitting in my usual spot at a large wooden table littered with books, papers, pens, ink bottles, and diagrams. Dori was standing next to a black board impatiently waiting for me to answer.

"Dawn! Pay attention, I'm not up here for my own benefit," She continued. I looked up and sighed. "I'm sorry Dori, I can't seem to focus today," I said apologetically. I had been thinking about the war. The Elves and Dragons had been at war for years.

"I understand; that is enough for today," she said "Go get some rest."

I collected my books, left the room, and turned down the long hallway headed for my room. I entered through a large door at my right and shut myself into the room. I threw the books onto a dresser and went to my bedside table. Picking up a brush, I looked into the mirror.

I sighed as I began running the brush through my hair. I had long, black hair. Though I never thought about it, I often received complements on my hair. People told me how it was so beautiful, silky, thick, and straight.

There was a knock at my door and Pansy, my best friend and dress maid, walked into the room. "I have your new riding clothes and cloak. You should try them out later. Dinner is in two minutes, so get dressed and head down to the dining hall," she said as she rushed out of the room.

I went to my wardrobe and pulled out a long green gown, without even looking at what I was putting on, I laced up the ties and headed to the dining hall where my mother, Dianna, and my father, Damar were waiting for me.

"We were just discussing the war. We have reason to believe the dragons are planning an attack," Damar said, as I walked into the large hall.

"Enough talk of the war for now, dear," my mother said, "We should talk of more pleasant things."

I didn't feel much like talking. I wasn't sure why I was unhappy, just that I was. I felt like something was missing. I didn't understand how this could be. My life was perfect. I was a princess in a castle, heir to the throne, gorgeous in every way, talented at everything I did. I wanted for nothing, yet I was empty. I went through the meal in silence. My parents, guessing my mood, didn't question the change.

After I finished eating, I excused myself and headed up to my room. When I arrived in my room, I quickly changed into my new riding outfit and put on a long velvet cloak. I wasn't going to stay here so everyone could watch me wallow in my misery.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2: RIDING

When I arrived at the stables, Vanion, the stable boy, and my close friend, was brushing down my horse.

"Pansy said you'd be riding today, so I took her out for you," Vanion explained, smiling his crooked smile at me.

Vanion and I had been friends ever since we were small children. I would come to the stables every day to play with him while his father worked. We grew up together and were like brother and sister.

"Thanks, Vanion," I said, sliding onto the back of my jet black stallion. We didn't use bridles or saddle equipment. Our horses went where we directed them because they wanted to. We shared a close bond with them, more friends than masters.

I rode off on one of the trail that led through the forest. I was having fun, but it was one of those activities that only keeps the hands busy. As I wandered deeper into the forest, I found myself thinking about the war. I wasn't sure what exactly caused it, no one was, but I found myself questioning the purpose of the whole thing. What was the purpose of slowly destroying two civilizations that would be better served in working together? Coming out of my train of thoughts, I suddenly realized that it was dark. All around me, the trees spread their branches, further diminishing the already scant amount of light from the moon and stars.

At that moment I realized that I wasn't on the trail anymore. I had no idea how long I had been riding or even what time it was. I thought about going back, but remembered that the gates were barred at sundown.

Oh well, I guess I should find somewhere to stay for the night. I can deal with my parents in the morning.

I began to look for a place I could stay until morning. After about an hour of searching, I found a cave. The mouth of the cave was quite large. I dismounted my horse and went to inspect the opening. The inside of the cave was unnaturally warm. By this point I was so tired that I didn't think to investigate this. I went inside the cave and curled up against the back wall. Almost instantly I was asleep, the wonderful, dreamless sleep of exhaustion.

I woke in the morning with an uncomfortable ache running through my back and legs. Still half asleep, I tried to figure out why my bed was so hard and lumpy. Then my memory of the previous day came back with a flood. I moved to get up, opening my eyes slowly. I noticed as I did so the ground I was standing on was a pale grey in color. It slanted sharply several feet in front of me and coiled around a large black stone.

I walked stiffly down the slope wondering absently how I got up there in the first place. When I reached the stone at the end of the slope, I noticed it shone with a bright silky gleam. Curious, I reached out to touch the stone. Its surface was hot to the touch. It steamed slightly at the base where it lay in damp soil.

I looked up at the strange hill I had slept on and came face to face with a pair of steel grey eyes. I froze instantly, shocked at my stupidity. Anyone else would have known instantly when they saw the stone. I cursed myself silently as I stared into the wary eyes of the creature before me. A large grey dragon curled into a protective half circle around the egg I stood facing.

The next thing I noticed was a long jagged gash deep in the side of the dragon. Her breathing was labored and I could tell she was barely holding on. An unexpected wave of compassion washed over me. I don't know why I did what I did, but I did it. I walked cautiously up to the dragon and knelt before her.

I didn't know what I planned to do, but I was determined to save the egg if not the mother. The dragon, seeming to read my intentions, slowly moved her head toward me. I don't know why I wasn't afraid; I should have been afraid, but I wasn't. The dragon slowly placed the end of her nose to my upturned head.

A flash of light blinded me and several images flashed through my head- a shadowy figure upon the back of a dragon, the egg beside me in the cave, a great battle about to begin with dragons on one side and elves on the other, figures separating the two armies as they converged on each other.

I woke to find myself lying on the pale dirt of the cave. The dragon was gone, but the egg remained in the same spot. Only one of the images I saw made any sense to me. I knew in that moment what the mother dragon wanted; she wished me to care for the egg and raise it.

There was a problem with that, because I knew I had to be insane if I thought my parents would let me keep a dragon. I would probably be tried with treason. Our laws clearly stated that any dragon egg we come across is to be destroyed.

What I didn't expect was how comfortable I was with the thought of never going home again. I should be thinking of my mother, father, Pansy, Vanion, Dori, and not to mention that I am the only heir to the throne. Was I insane?

But I knew inside that I had already made my choice. I was going to fulfill my promise to this dragon's mother. My choice made, I decided I should get to work. The dragon was likely to be hungry when it hatched, and I was not going to be on the menu. I went to a small tree outside the cave and cut of one of the branches with my dagger. I stripped off all of the leaves and brought it into the cave with me. On the ground in the cave I found a scale from the mother dragon. I was pleased to discover that it was razor sharp.

After using a piece of my stockings to tie the scale to a carefully split end of the branch, I went outside to fetch my horse. I found him grazing in the grass by the cave. I mounted him and began my search for game, silently blessing Vanion for teaching me several year's worth of survival skills.

After a while, I came upon a lake. Deciding fish was better than nothing; I stripped down and waded out into the water.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3: HATCHING

Several hours later, I waded back out of the water and lay down in the sand. My back and legs ached with the hours of unaccustomed work. The pain was not without rewards, though. In only a few hours, I had caught enough fish to feed a small family for two weeks. I wondered absently how long it would last a dragon.

When my skin was dry, I put my clothes back on with the exception of my over shirt, jacket, riding pants, and gloves. I was glad I had worn shorts under my riding pants. Dressed in only my undershirt and shorts, I loaded the fish into the cloak I had been wearing over my jacket. I felt guilty about the damage the fish would do to the velvet cloak.

When I reached the cave, I unloaded the fish and began collecting sticks for a fire. When the fire was burning, I used my dagger to scale a few of the fish and set them to roast over the fire. The other fish I left in the cloak bundled within easy reach of the egg.

By afternoon, I had eaten and gone through the sticks I collected for the fire. When I found one I thought would suit my purpose, I took the binding from my hair. I ran the stick through my hair and when finished, I braided my long locks into one large braid. When night fell, I curled up next to the fire for warmth and, exhausted, fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke and went outside. I noticed, to my delight, a raspberry bush. After collecting as many as I could carry, I headed back to the cave. I sat next to the now unlit fire and began to rebuild the flame. After I restarted the fire, I sat comfortably by the egg to enjoy my breakfast of wild raspberries.

Halfway through my first handful, I noticed the egg beside me was moving. Startled, I jumped up. When I realized what was happening, I grabbed the bundle of fish, wincing as I misjudged its weight, and planted myself firmly between the egg and the mouth of the cave.

I hadn't realized at the time that it might take hours for the egg to hatch. After about an hour of watching the egg carefully, I decided I might as well eat while I had the chance. I went back to the egg and retrieved my pile of berries. By the time the egg hatched, the day had melted into twilight and the night was on its way.

Out of the top of the roughly oval shaped egg, came the nose of a baby dragon. It took several minutes for the dragon to free its self from the egg. Curious, the little dragon came up to me. Not sure what to do, I pulled a fish from the bundle beside me. The dragon took it immediately from me and gobbled it down greedily. After five fish, the little dragon had had its fill. It curled up comfortably in my lap and went to sleep.

With the excitement of the hatching over, I now had time to actually look at the dragon. The first thing I noticed was that it was a girl. She was about three feet long and two feet tall. Her looks shocked me, first because they were strikingly beautiful and next because they resembled me. She was a deep midnight black, and her eyes were the exact same unnaturally emerald green that mine were.

I decided on a name for her as I watched the night take the day. She would always and forever be the twilight of my life as Princess Dawn, heir to the evlen throne, and the beginning of my life as Dawn, dragon tamer. The thought made me smile. Twilight, it fit her so perfectly. I thought of the sweetly sentimental feeling it had to it, and fell asleep with the twilight of my life curled safely in my arms.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4: TWILIGHT

In the morning, when I woke, Twilight was still fast asleep in my arms. I thought for a moment about whether or not I should wake her. I didn't have to for the uneven sound of my breathing roused her from her sleep. I knew she would be hungry. I moved her off my lap and went to the bundle of fish. After opening it and handing her the few fish that remained, I watched, smiling, as a greedy Twilight gobbled down the fish.

After feeding Twilight, I went to the bush outside to collect more berries. I brought the berries back to the cave and sat by the fire. As I ate the berries and watched Twilight as she playfully chased her shadow, I thought about the future. First, I would have to stay here, meaning I would have to get supplies. I decided that I would go to town and sell my riding gear and horse. This was hard for me because I loved my horse deeply. After convincing myself that it was necessary, I made a mental list of things I would need. I wanted clothes but they weren't vital, I needed a bow and some arrows to increase the variety of food for Twilight, I needed a hat to better hide my hair, for I was well known among the people, and a pack in case I had to travel.

I got up and took my hair down. After running the stick through my hair, I gathered it up and tied it into a bun on the top of my head. I was glad being outside so much had left my skin darker with a tan. It would help in disguising who I was until I got a hat. I took the now empty cloak and went to the lake to wash it.

When I returned to the cave I gathered all of the items I intended to sell in town, including the expensive riding clothes I would no longer need, and set out for town. I was relieved when I discovered that Twilight obeyed when I told her not to leave the cave until I returned. I found myself smiling as I came out on the main road to town.

The first thing I did when I got to town was selling the things I had brought. I quickly found a merchant I knew to be reliable and sold my items. With the heavy sack of gold coins I had received for my expensive clothing and horse, I set out to find a blacksmith. It didn't take long for me to find one, for the town was fairly small. I walked into the shop and looked around. The workshop was filled with molds, casts, diagrams, and weapons in various stages of completion. The smith looked me over curiously before coming to see what I needed.

"How may I help you?" he asked in a surprisingly smooth voice.

"I am in the market for a good bow and some arrows; do you happen to have any in stock?" I asked him in the most confident voice I could manage.

Clearly shocked by my question, it took him a moment to answer. I tried to suppress a smile as I watched the dazed look slowly melt from his face. I was used to the reaction, but I still found it hard to believe that I had such a profound effect on men.

"Uh, sure. Do you know what kind you are looking for?" he asked looking doubtful that I did.

"Yes, I was looking for a hunting bow." I smiled ignoring the obvious look of disbelief on his face.

He walked to the back of the shop and gestured broadly to a large selection of bows. I smiled to myself as I realized he wanted to know just how informed I was. I walked to the back of the shop quickly skipping to the section of hunting bows. I looked over the selection briefly before reaching out and picking up one of the two decent bows I saw.

The bow was long and made of a heavy solid wood I could tell this was not what I wanted for this bow had obviously been intended for horseback. I replaced the bow and turned to the other one I had seen. This bow was much smaller and made of a light flexible wood I did not recognize. I liked the light feel of the bow in my hand. Satisfied with its make, I drew back the bow testing its resistance. I was satisfied with what I felt and turned back to the smith catching him by surprise as he had been watching me intently. I held the bow out to him and smiled.

"I will need at least twelve arrows. Do you have enough to accommodate me?" I asked as he stared at me with a little more that his initial curiosity.

"Yes, I should be able to provide them," he said snapping out of his trance and retrieving the arrows from his workbench. I smiled as he placed the arrows in a quiver and wrapped my items in cloth.

After paying the smith, I went to a nearby tailor and bought the hat I needed. Because of the excess money I was left with, I also purchased several sets of clothes and the pack I had been wanting. I was surprised by how quickly I had gotten my items. I placed the clothes in the pack and the bow and arrows over my shoulder. Placing the hat on my head as I walked out of town, I began the long walk back to my new home in the cave and Twilight, the reason for my existence, waiting patiently for my return.

When I arrived back at the cave, Twilight was waiting for me. I walked in and saw a small pile of bones by the fire. Startled, I went to investigate. The bones were of rabbits. I laughed as I realized too late that Twilight could hunt for herself.

This is a fine time to tell me.

I thought looking at Twilight darkly. She looked down and hid her face in one of her to large wings. I smiled, she looked almost repentant. What was I going to do if my future lifetime companion turned out to be a total ham? That was when I decided that it didn't matter. Twilight was going to be my only companion and friend for a long time. I figured it would be best to accept her for who she was now before it became a problem. Sooner or later I would have to accept her flaws, if dragons even had flaws, no matter what they were. I thought about this for a time in silence. Twilight came up to me and sat at my side.

I don't remember falling asleep, but in the morning I woke comfortable, for once, and lie there wondering about the change. Then I noticed the position I was in. Twilight had somehow slipped under my head as I slept. My hands were draped loosely around her neck and her head was stretched around to lie lightly on my shoulder.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5: GROWING

It was then, lying there with Twilight in my arms, that I realized something. Twilight was huge! I pulled back to better look at the sheer size of the once tiny dragon. Doing so woke her. She pulled her head up to look at me questioningly. I let go of she and got to my feet. Twilight stayed put. I looked her over carefully. She had definitely grown. The young dragon, that had only two days before been three feet long and two feet tall, was now easily five feet long. After several minutes of ogling at her, I managed to pull myself together.

After I calmed myself down from the excitement this morning, I was able to focus on the things that needed to be done today. I quickly skipped over hunting; sure that Twilight had at least that covered. I went down to the lake after the young dragon left and bathed. I used the rough cloth the smith had provided to dry myself and headed back to the cave.

When I arrived, Twilight was sitting at the mouth of the cave looking almost smug next to the two deer she had killed. I couldn't help but smile at the easy confidence in the way she looked at me. Yes, she was definitely a ham. The rest of the morning, for I woke quite early, was spent skinning the two deer and hanging them in a tree to drain. I found myself smiling every time I looked at her as she watched me. It surprised how easy it was to be relaxed around her. I often found myself questioning my sanity during times like this. I wondered how a normal person would react.

Throughout the first few days of that week, I woke up with a similar feeling of shock like the one I experienced on that first day. In those three short days, Twilight had grown to a staggering eighteen feet long. Every time I looked at her a new wave of disbelief at the drastic change swept over me. Our sleeping position didn't change at all even though it was now impossible to use Twilight as a pillow. I now lay on her back with my arms around her neck. She still managed to lay her huge head over my shoulder.

It didn't take me long to notice, for I was quite observant lately, that Twilight was much bigger than her mother had been. She would have towered over her mother at ten feet tall and still growing. I found myself wondering what her father had looked like. It was hard to imagine something more impressive than Twilight's massive size. I knew from past lectures from Dori that Twilight was already bigger than most dragons ever get. It made me wonder about how special she really was.

At this time I was sitting in my usual place at the hollow of her neck and watching the fire. Yesterday, Twilight had gone hunting and I had already skinned the portion she brought me. There was nothing to do today. We had been sitting here comfortably for several hours, and I was becoming restless. Sensing my emotions, which she was becoming better and better at, she took me outside. We wandered down to the lake and I sat on the beach as Twilight waded out into the water and began to splash joyfully around. I found myself thinking about the future. This was not something I often thought about and it depressed me. Suddenly I remembered something, Dragons could fly. I felt so stupid that I had not thought of this before. It was so obvious! Her wings were so huge, how could I possibly have not thought about this sooner? I began wondering to myself when she would begin to fly. Suddenly, I realized something. We would have to be extra careful. If anyone saw here, they would tell my father and his soldiers would come here to destroy Twilight. I suddenly felt very protective of her. As I watched her splash about carelessly in the evening light, I had the sudden intense urge to go to her and throw my arms protectively around her. I would die if anything ever happened to her. She was the first thing to give my life true happiness in a long time. I couldn't imagine life without her. Even though she was only been with me for a few days, I felt as if my whole life had been spent with her. There was no world without her in it.

I frowned as I came to realize how dependant I was on her already. I didn't know why this upset me. I should have been happy that we were so close. What was wrong with me? One second I knew what I wanted and when I had it, I wasn't happy. I clutched my knees as I battled with the confused emotions spinning wildly through my head. I was so preoccupied with trying to make sense of my emotions I didn't realize what happened at first. When it finally hit me, I was frozen in disbelief and shock.

Had it really happened? Did I imagine it? Could it be? Many questions whirled through my head in that instant, yet I knew the answer to them all. I had not imagined what I heard. It was impossible for me to believe it was true, but I had heard it. The words passed right through my head as if I had thought of them myself. Again they rang sweet and clear through my mind.

(Are you okay, Dawn?)

The voice was concerned. It was pleading with me to answer, but I was frozen with the realization of where the sweet voice had come from. I looked at Twilight, My mouth open and the complete and utter disbelief that I felt showing plainly on every inch of my face. It took me a while to realize that she expected and answer. I didn't trust my voice; all I could manage was a jerky nod. I could see the skepticism in her eyes. What was I supposed to say? A dragon just talked to me! In my head! Had I gone completely insane?

After a while, I was able to calm myself down. Throughout the whole time I was frozen with shock, Twilight curled herself around me and watched my face protectively. When I finally managed to pull myself together, I looked up at Twilight's confused expression and asked "You can talk? How is that possible?"

(I can talk only to you, for you have impressed me and I will be close to you and only you for the rest of eternity. I shall reach full size tomorrow and will then be able to fly. Breathing fire will also come tomorrow. You have no need to fear for my safety for I will not fly until you tell me I can. I would never put you in such danger.)

I thought about this as I rode on Twilight's back on our way to the cave. I wondered what I could do with Twilight at my side that would be important enough to deserve such a friend. With a flash, I remembered the visions I experienced when I first discovered Twilight. I knew now what the other visions meant. The mother dragon had meant for me to take twilight into the battle that was about to break out between my father and the dragons.

(A battle? I can't fight a battle. I am just a child. What good would I do?) Twilight said, reading my thoughts.

"We would not fight; we could not fight. Which side would we choose? I would never attack the dragons because of you, but I could never attack my family either. No, we would not fight, but we could try to stop the battle. Think about it. If we could show everyone that our two species can live together peacefully, it would end the entire war!" I explained my heart racing with the excitement of my revelation.

This is my purpose. I know it is what we were meant to do. We will end the war and bring our species together. I can't believe I didn't think of it before.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6: JOURNEY

In the day after I decided what Twilight and I would do with our future, I gathered our recourses and prepared for the journey to the dragon territory. With all of the spare food I could fit in the pack with the clothes in it stored away, I slung my bow over my back and mounted Twilight as we head out on the forest path toward the Draco hills, the heart of the dragon territory, where my father said the battle would take place.

We traveled until that night. Tired and hungry, we stopped in a small clearing to camp for the night. I lit a fire and propped up on Twilight. Eating from my store of dried meat, I settled down for a long night. Twilight was asleep within minutes, but I was too edgy to sleep. I decided to keep watch.

Several hours into the night, I heard a rustling in the brush. Alerted by the sound, I grabbed my bow and strung an arrow.

"Wait, we come in peace. We mean you no harm," a small tinkling voice said. I lowered my bow, still wary of the unknown visitors. Several tall forms ghosted into the light of the fire. The head of the group pulled back the hood of her cloak and sat fluidly upon the ground at my feet. She was beautiful, her hair was a black so deep it was almost blue and her eyes were a shocking ice-blue.

"We heard talk of an elfin rogue that had impressed a dragon. The trees and the animals of the forest are abuzz with stories of your passage. We have come to learn of your intentions," The lovely figure explained. At first, I had no idea what she meant, but then something sunk in.

"You are a forest elf?" I asked, barely able to mask the shock I felt.

"Yes, we come from a tribe at the base of the mountains to the east. Word of your existence reached the city of Echoboughs, where the queen of the forest elves resides. She sent me and my coven to find you and learn your intentions so we may mark you as friend or foe," she explained, in her beautiful ringing voice. As she spoke the four elves behind her removed their hoods and stepped closer. They gathered around her and sank sinuously to the ground, two on each side.

I placed my bow back on the ground at my side and prepared to tell the forest elves my story.

"I am the princess of the urban elves. My father, Damar and my mother, Dianna are the King and Queen of Damon, the urban country. I went out riding one evening and got lost…"

As I told the elves of how I met Twilight, I watched as their expressions went from polite interest to shock and then fascination. When my story was over the elves sat in front of me, frozen by the sheer impossibility of what I described. When the leader of the group managed to snap herself out of the daze, she bowed her head to me.

Embarrassed, I looked at the ground to hide my blush. When the elf came up she looked me in the eyes and said, "We honor you, Dragon Whisperer and pledge to follow you in your noble cause. We will help you to end this war with your families and to unite the races in peace as you have with your dragon. I am Safrina, leader of the western cities of the forest empire. All of my resources will be extended to you in your journey," as she spoke, dark shapes began to emerge from the forest and gather around where Safrina stood. Some carried bows and some daggers, but all of them moved with the same ghostly grace that Safrina did. They gathered around the fire and settled down for the night.

"We will follow you wherever you go and are loyal only to you until this war is at an end. We will hunt for ourselves and will not burden you with caring for us. Where you go we go and we will protect you and your dragon if battle comes. We pledge ourselves to you, Dragon Whisperer, until the dragons and urbane elves are at peace once again," she said as the hundreds of figures converged on our camp.

The hundreds of figures settled in around the fire as if in their own camp. Their confidence unsettled me. Unable to find the words to refuse the offer, I just nodded my agreement. Suddenly exhausted, I settled under Twilight's wing and fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke to the smell of eggs and warm bread. I had not smelled either in so long I thought, at first, that I was still sleeping. Then, memory of last night flooded my mind. I sat up and crawled out from under Twilight's wing to look around. The hundreds of figures I saw the night before were gathered around many small fires and were eating breakfast.

Safrina, who had been standing in the middle of a large group of men, noticed me. She walked, almost glided, to my side and handed me a plate of eggs and a roll of fresh baked bread. I smiled at her shyly and sat by my own fire to eat my breakfast. The bread and eggs were a wonderful change from my usual dried meat. The warmth of the fire also helped to lighten my mood. I found myself smiling lightly as I watched the large group of people go about their morning routines. It felt nice to be around people again. I had not noticed that the absence of people had even bothered me. It was strange to find I liked the crowd. I wondered to myself about this for several minutes and was shocked out of my trance by twilight's roar.

Behind me, Twilight was crouched in a defensive position, and in front of her, a man cowered next to a tree.

I understood immediately what had happened. This man had accidentally woken Twilight and she was not expecting the large throng of people around us. I jumped to my feet and dashed to where the confrontation had taken place. Right before Twilight lunged for the man's throat, I threw myself between them. Twilight skidded to a stop with her bared teeth less than four inches from my face but this did not scare me. I knew she would never harm me and that made me confident.

(Stop Twilight!) I yelled in my head, throwing my hands around her neck.

(It's okay, it's okay. They are friends. They are here to help us, do not attack them! These are forest elves come to help us on our journey. They want to end the war, too.)

I stepped back and gestured to the now frozen group of elves. They watched us with looks that ranged from terror to outright amazement. I realized they were shocked because of my fearless jump between Twilight and the man just as she went for the kill. They were even more shocked by how fast Twilight stopped her attack as I jumped in the way. They had watched in utter amazement as I threw my arms around the still tensed and dangerous dragon and began stroking her neck.

I put my hand on Twilight's nose and stroked her until she dropped her defensive position. When she relaxed, I placed my cheek to her face and stroked the row of spikes that ran up the bridge of her nose.

(You should not have done that little one. I could easily have killed you. Why did you throw yourself in front of my attack so readily? I do not understand why you would trust me so much.)

(I knew you would not hurt me. There is no doubt in my mind that I am safe with you and I do not fear for my life in the least,) I explained.

(It is good to know you trust me so completely. I do not deserve you as my partner. It is by sheer luck that I bonded with one who has such a pure heart.)

(I don't know about that, but you don't have to worry about me.)

I smiled and looked at the man who was still frozen against the tree.

"Sorry, this will not happen again. She was taken by surprise and was not expecting strangers in the camp. I hope you are not harmed, are you alright?" I asked in the most soothing voice I could manage. I smiled at him and took a step in his direction.

He cringed away from me, his eyes widening in terror. I froze, shocked by his reaction. Why was he afraid of me? I had done nothing to him. What did he have to fear from me, a fourteen year old girl? I stared at him in confusion. Beside me, Safrina approached with caution. She stopped several feet away from me and looked at Twilight edgily.

"I am sorry that my companion upset your dragon and I beg forgiveness on his part. He meant no harm by his actions," she said. Her tone surprised me. She spoke to me like a servant fearing punishment from a violent master.

"No, the fault is mine. I should have warned Twilight of your presence and I did not. I was stupid and reckless. I apologize for this and promise it will not happen again. Can you forgive my carless mistake?" I asked turning to the man who had fled from me. I smiled but made no move in his direction fearing his reaction.

The man looked shocked that I was not angry. It took him several moments to realize that I was waiting for an answer to my question. When he did he looked down in embarrassment.

"I am the one to blame, I should have been more careful," he said and bowed his head to me.

This embarrassed me and I looked away as heat flooded my face. I was used to people treating me with respect, but never my elders. Adults usually treated me like any other child. The respect and reverence with which they spoke to me was unsettling. They treated me as if they were my followers, instead of my allies.

I turned to Safrina and asked "Why do they treat me that way? It disturbs me." She blinked at me for a moment before she answered.

"We are not treating you properly, young princess? I apologize," she said, looking ashamed.

"No you are treating me perfectly, too perfectly. I am not used to being treated with such reverence. I would be much more comfortable if you could treat me as an equal. I do not wish to lead you but allies are always welcome," I explained. "You do not want us to be polite?" she asked giving me a look that made me wonder if she was questioning my sanity.

"Politeness is welcome, but I wish to be treated as any other member of your group. It would help me be more comfortable." I explained.

"Of course, anything to make you more comfortable with our presence." She said and smiled. I smiled back and relaxed.

Several minutes later, Twilight's hunger registered in my thoughts, I need to hunt; you should warn the others that I will be in the forest. I do not want to cause any more trouble.

I walked to the fire where Safrina was giving orders to members of her group and whispered, "Twilight is going into the woods to hunt, and you should keep members of your party out of the northern half of the woods. Twilight will bring more than enough meat for your company so no hunting parties will be necessary," She looked at me in silence for a moment.

"I will inform my company." She said stiffly. I could see she was a little overwhelmed by the intelligence Twilight has that she wasn't expecting. I wondered absently if they would ever get used to her. I didn't count on it.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7: THE DRAGON QUEEN

To my suprise, our group was quite quiet as we made our way through the forest. I looked around every few minutes to be sure that the party of warriors had not disappeared. We marched on silently until dark. "Do not light fires tonight. We are too close to the dragons territory. We don't want to alert them to our presence yet. They won't stop to ask questions before they attack us." I instructed as we gathered in a small clearing. "I will inform my men." Safrina said before walking away. I ate a piece of leftover bread from this morning before curling up by Twilight and going to sleep.

The next morning, we set out up the mountain. Before leaving the camp, Safrina came up to me and said, "I sent word to our neighbors in the east and south. They have agreed to help us. Late last night the troops they sent us arrived. They are waiting in the forest for you to meet them. I believe they want to see your dragon." "I will go to them now. Thank you, Safrina."I bowed to her and went to get Twilight. After explaining the new members of our group, I took Twilight to the edge of the forest where the Northern and Southern Kingdom elves waited.

I was suprised by the number of elves waiting in the trees. There had to be at least two hundred elves grouped together in the darkness of the forest. I walked up to the head of the group and bowed. "I welcome you to our party. My name is Dawn, and this is Twilight." I said gesturing to Twilight who waited a few steps behind me. Several of the elves began to whisper among themselves as they stared at me in awe. I wondered briefly what Safrina had told them. I quickly decided I didn't want to know.

An elf stepped out from the group. He was tall and muscular. His skin was pale as alabaster and his eyes were a stunning crimson. He had long black hair, pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He bowed to me and smiled. "I am Daron. We are honored to join in the fight to end the war that has plagued our world for so many years. The Elves of the Southern Kingdom pledge our loyalty. We will follow you to the very end." I was prepared for the respect they gave me this time, but it still felt strange. "I am honored to have you in my party. We will do well with your assistance. We are just about to set out. You may take any place you want in the company. We head into the mountains, toward the queens lair." He nodded and bowed. "We will take our places now." He gestured to his party and they walked into the clearing followed closely by the female leader of the Northern Kingdom's elves.

I took my place at the head of the party. We set out into the rought terrain ahead and I slowed our pace to allow the warriors on foot to keep up. After a while I grew tired of riding Twilight. I dismounted and walked among the other warriors. We continued deeper into the mountains. We arrived at the edge of the dragons territory around noon. I remounted Twilight as we passed into the first of many dragon communities. We were immediately surrounded by dragons. They circled us, teeth bared and tensed for a fight. I was surprised by how comfortable I was. I looked around at my party and saw that all of them were trying their best to mask the fear that showed plainly on their faces. I dismounted Twilight again and walked over to the dragon at the head of the circle.

He was large. His brown scales shone dully in the sun and his wings beat the air in his anger. I walked up to him fearlessly and looked deep into his smoky grey eyes. "We come in peace. I have come to seak council with your queen. We have come in search of a way to end the war between our races. We want peace." I stated clearly. I was surprised by the flash of understanding that flickered in his eyes.

(We will guide you young one.) I heard the words in my mind. His voice was low and smooth. The sound of it had a strange calming effect. I felt even more confident as I nodded and followed him through the collection of nests that were scattered accross the bare rock.

(I wonder why so many adults of your kind are led by a hatchling. Why do you lead those who are clearly more experianced than you?) His question entered my mind as we walked side by side. "I am the reason they believe in a peacefull ending to this sencless war. They are inspired by what I have done." I explained.

(And what have you done to make so many believe in you. I can't imagine what you could have done to prove your point.) He seemed honestly curious about their strange loyalty. "I impressed a dragon." I said simply. He came to an abrupt halt.

(What do you mean you impressed a dragon?) His voice was filled with shock and disbelief. He turned and looked me straight in the eye. "I impressed a dragon. The process is hard to explain but esentially, I raised her from an egg and we are best friends." I explained, puzzled by his reaction.

(You stole a dragon egg!) He was furious. His eyes blazed in front of me. "Of course not! I would never do such a thing! Twilight's mother was wounded! She asked me to take care of her egg and I did! I can't believe you would jump to such a conclusion!"

(Why? Why would you take care of the egg? You owed her nothing. There was no reason for you to do it, so why did you?) He asked, his anger fading and disbelief taking it's place. "I'm not sure. I never really knew what caused me to do it. I just… had to. Something inside me told me that I had to." I explained to him. He turned and began walking again.

(Where is the dragon?) He asked. "I will call her." I said before closing my eyes and reaching out for Twilight's thoughts. (Twilight can you come to me?) I asked her. (I will be there in a moment.) She answered from somewhere hidden in the group of warriors behind me. I looked to see her head rise from the center of the group where she had been hiding. She walked out of the crowd of elves and came to my side. (You wanted me, Dawn?) She asked.

"Twilight I would like you to meet... Sorry, I don't know your name." I said turning back to the dragon before me.

(My name is Goren.) He said to me while he examined Twilight. "Goren, this is Twilight." I watched as he looked her over. After several moments he said, (She is a fine, strong dragon. You have raised her well, young one. I will take you to our queen.) He bowed his head to me and turned to lead us into a large cave.

At the entrance of the cave, two large steel grey dragons stood and watched us as we approched. When they caught sight of me they tensed and bared their teeth. (Why have you brought an elf to the lair of the queen?) One of them thundered at Goren. "Do not be angry with him! I have come to seek council with the queen. I wish to find a way to end this war peacfully. This is Twilight. She has traveled with me and supports me in my mission." I stepped forward. Twilight moved to protect me from the guards, but I held up my hand to stop her. I did not fear these dragons.(You may enter.) The dragon said after eyeing Twilight for a moment. They stepped aside to let us in.

Goren led us to a large chamber at the end of a narrow corridor. I was vaguely aware of the elven warriors following us cautiously through the darkness. I looked around the room. At the opposite end of the large space, a huge white dragon was curled into a ball. She lifted her head at the sound of our approach. (Goren, why have you brought elves into my home. You know they are not allowed within the nesting grounds.) She looked over our party and her eyes froze when they came to Twilight. (Who is this? She is not of our group, nor have I ever seen her before.) She examined Twilight closely. (Who are you?) She asked, finally. (I am Twilight. I am not familliar to you because I do not live among the dragons. I live with Dawn. She is my only family.) Twilight explained. The queens eyes widened in shock. (You have betrayed us to the elves?) She accused. Her eyes narrowed and a low growl escaped her lips. "NO! She has betrayed noone! I am her family because I raised her! She is my family because of the bond we share and none of this is her doing!" I stepped between Twilight and the queen. She turned her peircing eyes on me. (And who are you?) She asked harshly. "I am Dawn, Princess of Damon. My father is the king of the urban empire. I have come to make peace! The war between our people has gone on far too long! I aim to stop it. We fight because we have always fought! What is the point of a war fought only for the sake of fighting? We need peace! We must stop the foolish war we continue to wage! There is no point and no purpose! If peace can be found than we should embrace it! I cannot continue to live in the middle of a world where we kill for the sake of killing! It is not right!" I stopped, breathless.

I had let out all of my feelings in my speech and I was breathless. The queen was silend for a moment. (Such wise words coming from one so young. It is indeed a cruel world that forces one so innocent to shoulder the problems of those who are older and have lost their innosence. Yes, it is the sencelessness of our fight that has caused you to become a woman at such a young age. I see the truth of your words and can't help but hope that what you seak of is possible. I hope very much that you and Twilight can find a way to unite our races and end the fighting.) I was surpried by the sympathy and kindness I heard in her voice. "We do indeed live in a cruel world. I hope to end this madness and bring peace that our land hasn't seen in thousands of years. I must go to my father and stop him before he can cause more damage to the already broken world we live in." When I was finnished, the queen bowed to me. (I wish you luck. I will gather my forces and we will march on to Damon to seek council with your father. I just hope that he can see the sencelessness of the fight we have fought and that he will be willing to find peace.)

She nodded to Goren who went off to gather the members of the Dragon empire. (You and your party may stay here in one of my rooms until my forces are gathered. You have your pick of rooms. Get some rest, for we have a long journey ahead of us.


	8. Chapter 8

The entirety of this story is now available in print or via ebook format through Amazon. Go to the Amazon website and search my name: Tracee Dawn Prescott to buy the complete book.

Thank you so much for reading and commenting on my work while it was in progress.

Sincerely,

Dawn Mason-Cullen  
xoxo  
xoxo


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